Participants on the Belfast City Council’s Start Up Retail programme will open a pop-up shop in Belfast next week selling their unique crafts and food products.

Twenty people are taking part in the popular programme to help develop the skills needed to set up their own retail businesses with a particular emphasis on food and craft industries.

As well as receiving mentoring and attending business development workshops and best practice visits to retail outlets in Belfast, Dublin and London, they now have the chance to test trade and sell their products at the pop-up shop on the Lisburn Road.

‘Handmade Belfast’ will open inside the Ten Foundations charity shop on Thursday 5 March (5pm-9pm) Friday 6 March (9am-5pm) and Saturday 7 March (9am-5pm).

The Fairy Door Company

Among the products that will be on sale are silk handbags, skin creams and oils, artist designs and prints, jams and chutneys, meat rubs and spices, up cycled products and fairy doors.

Councillor Deirdre Hargey, Chair of Belfast City Council’s Development Committee, said: “The Start Up Retail programme is an excellent initiative supporting local entrepreneurs through one-to-one mentoring and tailored workshops as well as providing them with the opportunity to test trade and sell their handmade products at a pop-up shop model.

“I want to wish the participants on the programme every success with selling their products and promoting their businesses too. I would also call on people to support their local traders and produce by popping in and shopping at Handmade Belfast next week.”

For more information on the pop-up shop and the local businesses that will be trading at Handmade Belfast, visit the Facebook page.

Belfast City Council supports SMEs across the city with a wide range of business development programmes and events. For more information, visit the Belfast City Council site.